Digital Wellness: How to Achieve Balance in a Tech-Driven World

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Thirty years ago, only a handful of people used computers. While Apple had released the Mac, it was hardly a mainstream household item. 

As such, the concept of digital wellness didn’t exist. In fact, the whole idea of “wellness” would have seemed a little strange and New Age to people living in the 1990s. 

However, once the smartphone became universal around 2012-2013, the world began to change. Individuals started spending the majority of their time looking at screens and following people on Facebook instead of doing things in the real world. 

As the trend progressed, it soon became clear that not all was well with smartphone addiction. While it seemed harmless to onlookers, the damage it was doing to our individual and collective well-being was considerable. 

As such, the concept of “digital wellness” grew in popularity. All of a sudden, everyone became aware that digital devices were similar in their capacity to cause harm to bad food or avoid the sun for a month. 

This post looks at what digital wellness is and what it encompasses. Then, we look at how you can improve your relationships with computer devices and social media to become happier and more fulfilled. 

What Is Digital Wellness? 

Unfortunately, the concept of digital wellness is a little slippery. It can mean different things to different people. 

Mental And Emotional Health

For some, it means interacting with devices in a way that fosters mental and emotional health (or at least doesn’t damage it). Using devices shouldn’t impact sleep, anxiety, or any other part of life.

Work-Life Balance

There’s also an idea that digital wellness should include notions to do with establishing a proper work-life balance. Instead of spending the whole day on notebooks and computers, workers should have time to get out of the office and into nature, returning to a more primordial state indicative of what life used to be like. 

Physical Health

Finally, some concepts of digital wellness include physical health. The idea is to prevent technology from causing harm to the body, which is what seems to happen in reality. 

For example, digital wellness might include things like how we sit at our workstations and where we place our keyboards. It might emphasize ergonomic furniture or even eyeglasses to reduce eyestrain and redness. 

How To Improve Your Digital Wellness

It’s clear from the above description that digital wellness is something that can have a vast effect on your health and well-being. But how do you master the art? Learn here in this section: 

Schedule Tech-Free Time

While it might be tempting to carry your phone with you everywhere you go, it is critical to schedule some tech-free time now and then. If you’re constantly chained to your device, you can’t enjoy other aspects of life. 

This advice applies equally to people with disabilities or mobility issues. Being still can be a practice that everyone can enjoy. 

Once you stop interacting with digital devices, you soon discover you actually enjoy less stimulation. It isn’t as exciting there and then, but it increases your overall joy. 

Don’t Let Phones In Some Parts Of the Home

Another rule you can implement is device-free zones. Here you’re not allowed to bring anything into the room with you (except your body). 

Again, the idea is similar to before: you’re restricting parts of your home and not allowing tech to be used. 

The best place to try this approach is the bedroom. This way, you might be able to get better sleep. However, you can potentially implement it in any room or space on your lot, including the garden.

Ensure Your Privacy

Another way to achieve digital wellness is to ensure your privacy. If you can prevent other people from finding out things about you that you don’t want to know, it can put your mind at ease. 

What is FastPeopleSearch? Essentially, it’s a tool other people can use to find out lots of information about you. The fact that it exists is scary enough. But it is even more worrying when you think you might be exposed to it. 

Fortunately, you can get around this issue using systems that protect your identity online. A virtual private network scrambles all your outgoing information, allowing you to avoid interceptions. 

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Lastly, simply changing your digital consumption habits can have a profound effect on your wellness. Instead of constantly consuming negative material, it might help to focus on more positive stories. Once you use the digital world to support your well-being, it makes it less likely that it will affect you negatively.